Non-essentials – Charles Spurgeon

IT behooves Christians to have done with that cant about non-essentials. My brethren, every command of Christ is essential to us as servants. Not essential to our salvation—we are saved; that is not the question for us to raise; but being saved, and being servants of Christ, every command which comes from the great Captain it is essential for every soldier to keep. It matters not though it be simply a ceremonial, yet still we have no right to alter it. What would the court-martial say to any of the private soldiers who, having received an order from a captain, should say, “Well, I did not consider it to be exceedingly important”? “Drum him out of the regiment, sir; there is an end to all discipline in the army when soldiers criticize their orders.” So is it with Christ’s law. We have no right to say, for instance, about believers’ baptism, “Well, it is a non-essential.” Who told you so? If Jesus commands it, obey it, and if it be the Lord’s law, make haste and delay not to keep the Master’s statute.